End stop for slide actuated fasteners



Sept. 10, 1935 R, Q LEGAT 2,014,259

END STOP FO R SLIDE ACTUATED FASTENERS Filed June 2, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Sept. 10, 1935.

.7 END STOP FOR SLIDE ACTUATED FASTENERS Filed June 2-, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet 2 R. c. LEGAT 2,014,259

Patented Sept. 10, 1935 FOR SLIDE 'ACTUATED FASTENERS END STOP PATENTorr es.-

Robert C. Legat, New Britain, Conn., assignor to k G. E. PrenticeManufacturing Company, New Britain, Conn., a'corporation of ConnecticutApplication June 2, 1933, Serial No. 674,031

19 Claims.

This invention pertains to slide-actuated fasteners of the kind in whichseries of complementary interlocking elements are arranged along theopposite edges of a gap or opening in a garment, receptacle or otherarticle of flexible material, and relates more particularly to aseparable bottom stop for such a fastener adapted to permit completeseparation of the opposite edges of the gap or opening. I In my PatentNo.-

l,893,823, dated January 10,1933 I have disclosed and claimed one verydesirable form of separable bottom stop for fasteners ofthis classwherein each of the complemental interlocking stop memhers is of onepiece unitary construction and made preferably by bending a sheet metalblank. These one piece stop members of my said patent are desirable, notonly from the standpoint of economy and ease of manufacture, but also byreason of their permissive: small dimensions, while at the same timeproviding-secure anchorage to the stringers and affording the desiredslider limiting function. However, .in practice, I have found that inthe hands of unskilled or unthinking perso'ns these end stops aresometimes subjected to such abnormal stresses, for example, in theendeavor to separate the lower ends of the stringers by direct pullwithout proper preliminary actuationof the slider, that the socketmember of thevstop is sprung apart or otherwise permanently distorted sothat its normal functon is destroyed. With the object of overcoming thisdifficulty, I have further improved'the stop device of my prior patentso as effectively to prevent such springing of the walls of the socketmember. In accomplishing this result I preferably provide the lower endof the pin member of the stop with a tooth adapted to enter an openingor recess in the bottom wall of the socket member of the stop, suchtooth, when seated in this opening or recess, positively opposinglateral stress tending to pull the pin 'member sidewise out from betweenthe front andrear walls of the socket. As a further safeguard, I mayalso extend the bottom wall of the socket upwardly and rearwardly so asto overlap the rear wall of the socket, and thus produce a clamp orreinforce element which assists in preventing the walls of the socketfrom being spread or sprung apart.

Experience with the use of my separable stop, as proven in my patentabove referred to, has disclosed to me that the entry of the pin throughthe channel of the slider and downwardly into interlocking engagementwith the socket member of the stop is facilitated if the pin, or atleast the lower portion thereof, be longitudinally curved. It may benoted that the channel in the slider is not straight'and thus if a pinmember of substantial length be employed lwhich is desirable in order toobtain the proper anchorage to the stringer without undesirably wideningthe pin member) it is sometimes cramped in passing it through the sliderchannel. Thus, in accordance with the present invention I curve the pinto some extent, as above stated, and find that it. enters the sliderchannel very easily and may be pushed down to its furthest limit 'Whereit properly seats in the socket without undue eifo'rt.

' In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated certain desirableembodiments of the in-' vention by way of example, and in the drawingshave shown my improved separable end stop as i made from sheet material.However, it is to be understood that in its broader aspects theinvention is not limited to the type of material employed or to theexact mode of procedure inm'aking and applying the end stop but tha-tall desirable changes in shape, f0rm,- material and arrangement ofparts, and the substitution of equivalents are to be'considered asfalling within the purview of the invention as expressed in the claimsappended hereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation illuscrating the lower portionof a'slide-actuated fas tener having my improved end stop appliedthereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a blank useful in forming the socket member ofthe stop shown in Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation to larger scale ofthe socket member made from the blank of Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is a vrear elevation of the same socket member; i

Fig. 5 is an edge elevation of said socket member;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of thesocket member before application to thestringer;

Fig. '7 is a front elevation of a blank useful in making the pin memberof the stop of Fig.1

Fig. 8 is'a rear elevation of the'pin member made from the blank of Fig.7; V

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the pin member before'application to thestringer;

Fig. 11 is a vertical section substantially on the line I i-| I of Fig.6, showing the socket member with the pin member associated therewithand indicating the position of the parts relative to the fastenerelements and the slider;

elements 3 and I,

Fig. 11' is a fragmentary section through the edge portion of a garment,showing a stringer and end stop secured thereto, and indicating a novelway of anchoring the garment to the end stop;

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of a blank useful in making a socket memberof modified construction; 1 i

Fig. 13 is a. plan view of the socketmember made from the blank of Fig.12;

Fig. 14 is a plan view of a blank useful in making a modified form ofpin member;

Fig. 15 is a front elevation of the pin member made from the blank ofFig. 14 and shown assembled on the stringer;

Fig. 16 is a vertical section showing the socket member of Fig. 13assembled with the pin member of Fig. 15; and g Fig. 17 is a frontelevation illustrating the operation of entering the pin of Fig. 15through the slider channel for engagement with the socket member of Fig.13.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeralsl and 2 designate flexible stringerssuch as are commonly employed for supporting the opposed series offastener elements in a fastener of the type under consideration, suchstringers, as shown, carrying the series of fastener elements 3' and 4respectively. The fastener elements of the opposed series'are moved intoand out of engagement by 5 which may be of any ap- As illustrated,special guide means 'of a slider proved construction.

patent to Prentice, No. 1,899,479, are disposed at the lower ends of theseries of fastener elements 3 and 4 respectively. My improved bottomstop is applied to the lower ends of the stringers I and 2 and comprisesthe socket member 6 and the cooperating pin member 1. Referring to.Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive, 'thesocket member preferably consists of aunitary piece of sheetmetal comprising the elongate portions 8 and 9integrally joined to the central portion ill, the latter having theupwardly extending part III. Preferably the portions are integrallyunited by neck members I4 and I 5, respectively, to curved end portionsofouter members I6 and I1, respectively.

the socket I8, the latter being open at its upper end, and their freeedges are turned inu 'ardly to form the flanges l9 and 20 Fig/6) leavinga slot such as disclosed in the 2| between them for the passagev of anarrow neck portionof the pin member hereafter described. The tongue 23is bent at substantially right angles ,to the vertical plane of the partIi so as to form a substantially horizontal bottom 5 closure for thesocket lildefined by the parts "I; l6, l1, and theflanges l9 and 20,such socket being shaped to receive the pin member by downof the latter.

Upper part of the center of this blank is desirably 25 tion,

immediately adjacent'to the pin so as to forma 35' secured to therespectivestringers I and 2' by in- 55 21 and 34 are now passed through"the openings of the sockets and pin members, re.-

, If desired, in order to anchor 65 the metalto the fabric more firmly,the walls of the socket and. pin members may be struckv inwardly orindented as indicated at 7 r ment material M (Fig. l1) is stiif orheavy, for 7 example leather, a secondary, but smaller, rivet 34 headedover against the garment material, a

similar rivet being associated with the rivet 21",

to 10' inclusive, the'pin 20' may be passed through the rivet 34 andInthe operation 'oi-thls separable stopmember, .curvedshape of thepin'member i'acilitatesits and assuming th&t1=1t is desired. to.assemble the parts preparatory totheclosing 01. the g,ap, .the

slider; is brought down into" the position indicated 1 in broken linesin; Fig. 11,. so that:its; l'ow.er end rests, for example, on theupperedges of the jaws ofthe socket ll. Thepinmember-of the. stringer 2is now'passed downzthrough the channel in the right-hand side oftheslider, as viewedin Fig. 11, andiscaused to move downwardly into thesocket IB-untilIthe tooth Lprojects-through'the opening 24 in. thebottom wall'23 of the-socket. The parts are now properly assembled andthe slider may be actuated in. usual; manner. to bring-the. op'-- posedseriesof fastenerelements into engagement. When the stop members arethus associate-d, the engagement of the tooth 35 with the opening 24provides a positive anchorage suchthat direct lateralstress applied tothe lower portions of the stringers can not pull'the pin' member frombetween the flanges -.I9,.and 20. of the socket l8' by springing thelatter apart, and thusthe stringers can not be improperly separatedatapoint below the; slider asis sometimes "accomplished. by theapplication. of severe pull applied .to thelower. portions-of thestringers. Obviously the arrange.- ment of the clamping member 23*overlapping the rear wall of the socket furtherassists in preventingseparation of 'theflanges l9 and 20.

Referring to'Figs. 12 and 13', a slightly modified formof socket memberis shown, such socket member beingsubstantially like that shownin myprior patent above referred tobut with provision for reception of 'aretaining tooth on the pin mem- 356 socket. 46 for the reception of theedge of the stringer, andalso jaw members defining between them! thesocket 4T for'ithe reception of=v the pin member of the stop. The. tab44 isturned inwardly so as to form abottom wall for the socket 41, suchwall having the opening 45 therethrough. The-free edges of'the jawswhich form the socket "are turnedinwardlyto provide the retaining Thepin. member. is. conveniently made fromra. blank such as showniinFig: 14comprising a central part 50. and'lateral portions 5| and 52', the

' central .parthaving a downwardly projecting tab 53. This blank isbent'to provide a socket adapted pie.

flat substantially asshown'inxFig. '15.. Preferably the pin memberv thus-formed is longitudinally curved. so that the exposed oryouter surface54*0! this pin-member is curved 'from end toen'd;

The socket member'and the pin member thus provided are securedto edgesof their. respective stringers by pressure or otherwise so as to anchorthem firmly in position; and these parts may beindentedas shownv at 55'so as to anchor them securely-inzplace.

In Fig.v 16 I have illustratedthe arrangement of.

the socket member of Fig. 13 and thepin: member of Fig. 15 whenassembledin position for operative engagement. It may be noted. that theThis. blank is so bent as to provide two ply jaws (Fig. 13) definingbetween them the passage downwardly through the slider channel (Fig. 17)and that the'tooth member .53, when the "parts. are: assembled,.passesdown through the opening'45l in thebottom wall 44 of the socket member;thus positively anchoring the parts together and thereby preventing themfrom being pulled apart latera'lly by improperly applied andabnormalstress.

Whenherein Ihave employed the terms top", bottom, horizontal, vertical",etc., I have done so for convenience in description and with referencetothe disposal of the parts as illustrated in the drawings. but withoutintent thereby to imply that the improved structure may not bedifferently disposed when in use. i I claim:

1. A separable end stop for slide actuated fasteners, said stopcomprisinga socket member and a pin member, the socket member having anelongate socket provided with a bottom closure and with an elongate slotin its wall, the pin member 'havingapin adaptedto fit within the socket,the pin member and the bottom closure of the socket having complementalinterfitting parts which engage each other when the pin is seated in thesocket and which thereby act to oppose stress tending to pull the pinlaterally out through the slot in the socket wall.

2. A separable end stop for slide actuated fasteners, said stopcomprising a socket member and a pin member, the socket memberconsisting of a unitary piece of sheet metal bent to form an elongatesocket provided with a bottom closure and having an elongate slot in itswall, said bottom closure having an aperture therein, the pin memberhaving ahead portion adapted to fit within the socket and to seat on thebottom closure of the latter, the pin also having a narrow neck portionadapted to slide in the slot in the wall of the, socket member, the pinhaving a tooth at its lower end adapted to project into the apertureinthe bottom closure of the socket.

3. A separable end stop for slide actuated fasteners of 'the-kin'dinwhich opposed series of fas- 45 tener elements are carried by flexiblestringers and aremoved into and out'of engagement by a slider, said stopcomprising a socket member and a pin member, thesocket member having anelongate socket closed at its bottom and having a longitudinallyextending slot in its wall, the bottom closure of the socket having anopening therein, the pin member consisting of a unitary piece of sheetmetal bent to provide a head portion adapted to fit within. thesocketand to seat on the'bottom closure of the latter, the pin member' havinga portion. adapted to slide in the slot in the socket member, and atooth projecting fromthelower end of .the'head portion of the pin forengagement with the opening in the bottom closure of the socket.

4.- A separable end'stop for slide actuated fasteners of the kind inwhich opposed series of fastener elements are carried by flexiblestringers andare moved into and'out of engagement by a slider; said stepcomprising a socket member and a pin member, the socket member havingside walls terminating in. opposed flanges spaced to leavean elongateslot between them, said walls defining-a socket, and means providing abottom closure fo'r the socket, the pin member compris-- through theslot between the flanges oi the socket wall.

kind having a pair a slider for moving the opposed series of elementsinto and out of operative engagement, said stop comprising independentseparable members each secured to one of the stringers, respectively,adjacent to the lower end of the corresponding series of fastenerelements, one of said stop members being a socket member and the other apin member, each of said members consisting of a single'unitary piece ofsheet material, the socket member having a socket provided with spacedwalls having free edge portions spaced from each other, the socketmember tured bottom closurefor the socket, said closure being integrallyjoined to one wall of the socket and having a tongue projecting upwardlysubstan-' tially parallel to the outer surface of the, other wall of thesocket, and the pin member having a part shaped to fit within the socketof 'the socket member and to seat on the bottom of the latter, the pinhaving a tooth which projects into the opening in the bottom of thesocket when the pin is seated in the latter.

6. A separable end stop for slide actuated fasteners of the kind inwhich opposed series of fastener elements are carried by flexiblestringers and are moved into and outof engagement by a slider, said stopcomprising a socket member and a pin member, the socketmember havingwalls terminating in opposed edges spaced to leave an elongatevertically extending slot between them, said walls defining a socket,and a bottom closure for the socket, said bottom closure being providedwith a tongue por ion substantially perpendicular to the plane of thebottom closure proper and united to one edge of thelatter, said tongueextending upwardly in substantially parallel relation to the outersurface of one wall of the socket member. v

7. A separable end stop for slide actuated fasteners of the kind inwhich opposed series of fastener elements are carried by flexiblestringers and are moved into and out of engagement by a slider, saidstop comprising a socket member and a pin member, the socket memberhaving vertical walls terminating in opposed flanges spaced to leave anelongate slot between them, said walls defining a socket, and a bottomclosure for the socket, said bottom closure being integrally united tothe socket wall at one side of the slot and overlapping the outersurface of the socket wall at the opposite side of the slot, thereby soconnecting said walls as t prevent separation of the flanges.

' 8. A separable end stop for slide actuated fasteners of the kind -inwhich opposed series of fastener elements are carried by flexiblestringers and are moved into and out of engagement bya slider, said stopcomprising a socket member and a pin member, the socket memberconsisting of a single piece of sheet metal'bent to provide wallsarranged to define a vertically elongate socket,,

said walls having free lateral edge portions formed as flangesdirected'toward each other but spaced apart to provide a slot leadinglaterally into'the socket, and a closure for the bottom of the socket,said closure comprising a part integrally united to the socket wall atone side of the slot and extending upwardly at the outer side of 5. Aseparable bottom stopior a fastener of the,

of stringers carrying opposed series of interengageable fastenerelements, and,

also having an aper-- the socket wall at the other side of the slot,thereby to prevent the flanges from spreading apart.

9. A separable end stop for-slide actuated fasteners or, the klndinwhich opposed series of fastener elements-are carried by flexiblestringers 5 and are moved into and'out oiengagement by asliderfisaidstop comprising a socket member and a pin member, the socketmember having opposite side walls defining a" vertically elongatesocket, the edge portion of said walls being'spaced to provide anelongate slot leading laterally into the socket, and a closure memberforthe bottom of the socket, said closure member being integrally united toone side wall and being turned up at its free extremity to overlap theouter'surface' of the other side wall, thereby to prevent abnormalspreading of the spaced edge portions of said wall, said closure memberhaving an opening at the lower end of the socket, and the pin memberhaving a tooth forengagement with said opening inthe closure member.

10. A separable bottom stop for use in'a slide actuated fastener, of thekind in which a pair of stringers carries opposed series ofinterengageable fastener elementspand having a slider for moving saidelements into and out of engagement, said end stop comprisingindependent members attached to the opposite stringers respectively, one

of said members consisting of a piece of sheet metal bent to provide asocket'having spaced walls provided with oppositely directed flanges. attheir outer edges, respectively, the inner edges of said walls beingintegrally united by the fold of the material disposed between saidwalls to define a pocket for the reception of the beaded edge of thestringer, o'ne ofsaid wallshaving an integral extension constituting abottom closure for the socket and the pocket, said bottom closure havingan aperture therein, and the other of said stop members comprising a'pin adapted to fit 40 within the socket of the other member,-said pinhaving a tooth at its lower end for engagement with the aperture in thebottom'closure of the socket, the pin being curved longitudinallysubunited by a fold thereby providing'spaced'jaws,

each of double the thickness of the metal, for engagement with thestringer, said jaws having openings therethrough, an eyelet passingthrough the spaced jaws and the stringer, the opposite ends of saideyelet being headed over against the outer surfaces of the respectivejaws thereby permanently to secure the socket member to the stringer,

a garment member engaging the outer surface 0 of one jaw and overlyingthe corresponding head of the eyelet, and a fastening member passingthrough the eyelet and garment member and uniting-the stringer to saidgarment member.

12. An end stop device for slide actuated fas- 5 teners, saidstop devicecomprising independent separable members each of said members consistingof a single piece of sheet metal bentto provide clamping jaws'arrangedto embrace the edge portion of one of the stringers respectively, theclamping jaws of each of said members hay-l ing aligned openingstherethrough, an attaching eyelet passing through the openings in thejaws of each member and through a portion of the corresponding stringerinterposed between saicl Jaws. the opposite ends of said eyelet beingheaded over against the outer surfaces of the respective jaws therebypermamently to unite said member to the stringer, a flexible partengaging the'outer surface of one jaw of each member and overlying thecorresponding eyelet head. and a fastening member passing through theattaching eyelet of each of said stop members and the flexible part anduniting the stringer and corresponding stop member to said flexiblepart.

13. An end stop device for slide actuated fasteners of the kind in whichopposed series of fastener elements are carried by flexible stringers,said stop device comprising a part mounted upon one of the stringersadjacent to the end of its series of fastener elements, an eyeletpassing through said part and the stringer, said eyelet being headedover at each end, one head of the eyelet engaging an outer surface ofsaid part, said eyelet securing said part to the stringer, anothermember overlying said outer surface of said part and the correspondingeyelet head, and an eyelet of smaller diameter passing through saidfirst eyelet and through said other member and securing said part andthe stringer to said other member.

14. A blank for use in making the socket member of a separable end stopfor fasteners of .the class described, said blank consisting of aunitary piece of sheet material comprising the elongate portions 8 and 9integrally joined to a central portion In, the latter having an upwardlyextending part I0 the outer extremities of the parts 8 and 9 beingcurved and integrally united by neck members H and respectively tocurved end portions of outermembers l6 and I1 respectively, the part 15having a notch 22-in its upper edge and an apertured tongue 23projecting from its lower edge. g

15. A blank as set forth in claim 14 in which the adjacent end portionsof the parts 8 and I6 and of the parts 9 and I1 respectively areprovided with openings 21.

16. In a multiple operated fastener installation adapted to becompletely separated at both ends, a pair of stringers, opposed seriesof fastener members on said stringers, a slider movable on saidstringers to engage and disengage said fastener members, separable endconnections for said stringers comprising, in combination, a socketmember on one stringer and a pin member on the other stringer forinsertion into said socket member, said socket member having a portionadapted to attach said socket to one. of said stringers at one edgethereof and spaced top and bottom plates extending across the opposedstringer from said portion and receiving the pin, and an end plateintegral with one of said plates and at the lower end thereof and benttoward the opposed plate thereby to close the end of said socket member,said end plate having an aperture therethrough and receiving a portionof the pin member to prevent separation of said socket and said pinmember by transversestresses exerted on the stringers.

17. A separable end connection of the class described comprising. incombination, a pin memher and a box-like socket member. said box-likesocket member formed from a single piece of sheet metal having anattaching portion and top and bottom plates extending outwardly fromsaid 5 said socket member between said plates and having its end passinginto the aperture in said end plate to retain said pin member withinsaid socket member and to prevent accidental separation of said pin andsocket by lateral stresses.

18. A separable end connection of the class described comprising, incombination, a pin member and a box-like socket member, said boxlikesocket member formed from a single piece of sheet metal having anattaching portion and top and bottom plates extending outwardly fromsaid por- .tion and thereafter inwardly toward each'other and an endplate formed integral with one of 25 said plates and bent against theopposed plate thereby to close the lower end of said socket, said endplate having an aptreure therethrough and said pin having a projectionof less cross-sectional area than the pin member proper and passing intosaid aperture for the purposes described.

19. In a multiple operated fastener installation adapted to becompletely separated at both ends,

a pair of stringers, opposed series of fastener members on saidstringers, a slider movable on said stringers to engage and disengagesaid fastener, members, separable end connections for said stringerscomprising, in combination, a box-like socket member on one stringer anda narrow pinlike member on the other stringer for insertion 40 into saidsocket member, said pin member being formed from a single piece of sheetmetal having a plurality of projections at the inner face and a portionoffset from the lower end of said pin member, said projections adaptedto wedge a stringer against the opposed inner face of said member toaihx said member to said stringer, said box-like socket member beingformed from a single blank of sheet metal and having a folded-inattaching portion at one side thereof and spaced top and bottom platesextending from said portion toward the opposed stringer a distanceapproximately the combined width of two fastener elements and thereafterinwardly toward each other and an end plate formed integral with one ofsaid plates and bent against the opposed plate thereby to close thelower end of said socket, said end plate having an aperture therethroughand adapted to receive the said offset portion of said pin memberthereby to retain said pin member within said socket member and toprevent accidental separation of said end connecting members whenstresses are exerted thereon.

ROBERT C. LEGAT.

